


Family

by redheadthunderhead



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Pre-Relationship, Wardens in Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-22
Updated: 2015-12-22
Packaged: 2018-05-08 08:23:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5490350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redheadthunderhead/pseuds/redheadthunderhead
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You don't have to say anything. Letting me yell about it is plenty of help." </p><p>Leigh gets some things off her chest.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Family

**Author's Note:**

> This has been sitting in my drafts for a few days so I slapped an ending on it. This is meant to be very pre-relationship and you can really only tell that it's meant to be a relationship if you squint.

No amount of warning could have prepared Leigh for the nightmares she would be facing as a Grey Warden. Those were her words to Duncan when she woke from the Joining. She had nightmares, sure. She had nightmares every night on the way to Ostagar, haunted by everything she had left behind. And that was everything to her. Her family, her castle, the life of a noble. She was a Grey Warden now, and that would be for life. A much shorter life than she hoped for, but that was not something that could be changed. In death, sacrifice.

The heat was the first thing she felt. Unbearable heat that felt like it was burning her flesh off. Everything even looked hot, an angry red hue lighting the blurry vision. She saw the massive horde of darkspawn, so large that even all of Thedas could not conquer them. She could almost smell the scent that could only be compared to rotting flesh. The heat was growing more unbearable by the second, suffocating her, killing her. She could sense the darkspawn as if she was one of them. She could nearly hear the commands the archdemon gave. It only served as a reminder that she was one of them in a sense. The darkspawn blood she consumed had given her the taint but the ritual slowed her inevitable death. There were days she wished that she hadn’t survived the joining, but she would quickly be given a reason to continue the fight. Her fate was growing easier to accept.

Leigh finally stirred, dragging herself out of the nightmare and forcing herself awake. Her heart beat quickly with adrenaline, not fear. The nightmares no longer brought fear, only more questions. She realized that she was not in her tent, instead sleeping under the stars. A quick look around showed her that nothing was out of the ordinary. Her mabari slept close to her, her protection being the loyal wardog’s main concern. Sten had the night watch, guarding the road that led into their camp. The fire was still burning, although more wood would need to be added soon. As her eyes moved from the fire she locked eyes with Alistair, sitting to the left of her with a burning stick in one hand.

“You fell asleep,” he said. “I didn’t want to wake you, I figured the nightmares would do it soon enough. That seems to be a common thing lately.”

Leigh sat all the way up, pulling her knees to her chest and resting her chin on them. “Yeah, they did,” she admitted softly, staring into the fire. “Were we talking about anything before I fell asleep?”

“Not really, I was just listening to you talk about the stars.”

“That must have been boring, I’m sorry.”

“No, I, uh, I like hearing you talk,” he said quickly, more to himself than out loud. The last past barely able to be heard over the crackling of the fire. 

"What was that?" Leigh asked, lifting her head to look at him.

"Well, you aren't exactly boring," he said. "Too smart for your own good, maybe, but not boring. Now, Morrigan on the other hand..."

"I had a good teacher back at the castle. I just didn't know it growing up." Leigh frowned then, sighing softly. "I helped him teach some of the family history the night before the attack."

"He didn't make it out, did he?"

"No, I...found his body while we were escaping. I found everyone's bodies. Alistair, I'm all that's left," Leigh's voice cracked with her last statement and she cleared her throat. "Howe took everything from me. I still remember saying goodbye to my parents. We found my father bleeding out and my mother insisted she stay behind with him. I tried to get her to come...I was so angry with Duncan when he dragged me away. I didn't talk to him for days on the way to Ostagar. Eventually I realized that it wasn't his fault, that Howe is the one to be angry with. If I ever get the chance I will strike him down where he stands!" Leigh's mabari picked up on her anger, getting up and shoving his head under her arm. "Just you, me, and Fergus left, boy. I hope."

"I don't know what to say," Alistair admitted. 

"You don't have to say anything. Letting me yell about it is plenty of help. Maybe let me hit something, I don't know." She sighed again, petting the dog as it continued trying to get her attention. Alistair moved closer until the dog lifted his head and growled. "Hey!" 

"I was going to give you a hug, but that's probably not a good idea when you have a wardog practically sitting on you, huh?"

"Well, you tried, I suppose. Wouldn't want you to lose a hand," she laughed. "Thanks, Alistair. I'll be okay, though. I just need to know if Fergus is alive. I need to know if he made it out of the battle."

"He was with the king's army, right?" 

"He was with Highever's army," she said as if there was a big difference. "That's why the castle got taken so easily. Our men had left to join the King’s army. I told my brother the night before that he would need to leave to march with them. I was to look after the castle while he and my father were gone. I can't say I was looking forward to that. I wanted to be with the men. It wasn't about proving myself or anything, my family knew I could fight. I just...wanted to fight. Darkspawn scared the shit out of me when I first heard about them growing up. Then I heard there was a Grey Warden in the castle and I felt ten years old again, dreaming about fighting them." 

"I imagine they didn't tell you the part about choking on Darkspawn blood, passing out, and cutting your lifespan in half."

"Ha, no, they didn't. I have to say, had I known about that I probably wouldn't have been so interested. Father could have told me, "Leigh, I need you to stay here and entertain nobles," and I wouldn't have had any second thoughts."

"That's why we try to keep that part a secret."

"We have the right to conscript, though. Can't we just use that to, I don't want to say force, but force people to join?"

"It wouldn't make a difference. You saw what happens when..."

“I...yeah. I try not to think about that,” Leigh sighed, looking up to the sky. The sun was beginning to rise over the horizon. “We should probably start moving soon. We should be a few hours from where the Dalish are camped.” 

“You’re probably right. Hey, can we send the dog to wake up Morrigan?” Alistair asked, looking over to where Morrigan was isolated from the rest of the camp then to the dog still resting his head in his partner’s lap. Leigh laughed, but shook her head.

“Alistair, have you ever thought that you are the reason that she hates all of us?” She questioned.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” 

“Alright, have fun, but I had nothing to do with it.” Leigh paused for a moment and stopped Alistair before he could get too far away. “Hey, Alistair? Thanks for listening.”


End file.
